GGV Capital Managing Partner Jeff Richards said that although marketplaces that link workers to different types of work abound in the U.S., Shiftgig is tapping into a different trend than others.

“Most workers in the U.S. are hourly workers, not full-time employees or independent freelancers,” he said. “And hourly workers, since Obamacare, have been facing the reality that employers want to keep them to 29 hours a week, so they don’t have to pay health care. They’re looking for new shifts to fill in their income gaps.”

According to the most recent annual report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, among workers who are 16 years and older in the U.S., 58.7%, or 77.2 million, are paid on an hourly basis but aren’t independent freelancers.

The largest employers of hourly, or “W-2” workers–leisure and hospitality businesses, food service and retailers–face seasonal spikes that can suddenly add to their labor needs and cost of doing business, said the Chicago company’s co-founder and chief executive, Eddie Lou.

Lakewest Venture Partners

Lakewest Venture Partners is an affiliate of Lakewest, Inc., a real estate and private equity company located in Chicago. It is led by Buzz Ruttenberg, David Mann and Jonathan McCulloch and was formed to pursue seed and early stage investment opportunities primarily in Chicago. Our investments and participation in companies can range from passive $50,000-$100,000 investments to those in excess of $1,000,000 with board involvement. Our primary investment capital is sourced in-house which makes our decision-making process straightforward and swift. We also operate a fund raised from private investors for additional investment capacity.